neumann



J. J. NEUMANN.

CORNET.

licntion filed Au Patented Apr. ll, I899.

a, 1597.) I B 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

liil'il'i i-rim; ll!! No. 622,820. Patented Apr. 11, I899.. J. J. uzumum.

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(Applicltion AM Aug. -10, 1897.) v (I0 Model.) 2 S hhhhh -S hhhh 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS J. NEUMANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LYON (is HEALY, ,OF SAME PLACE.

CORNET.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,820, dated April 11, 1899.

Application filed August 16, 1897. Serial No. 648,410. No model.)

To (tZZ whom 212'; may concern.-

Be it known that I, JULIUS J. NEUMANN, of Chicago, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to musical instruments, and more particularly to that class known as cornets-a-piston, although also applicable to other instruments of a similar nature, and has for its object to provide means whereby the instrument may be readily and quickly changed from one key to another without affecting its tone or accuracy and may be properly tuned in either key.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features, which I will now proceed to describe and will then particularly point out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of an instrument embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view in a central vertical plane through the main keyslid'e. Fig. -1- is a detail view of the parts constituting the main key-slide, the same being shown in elevation and separated, but in their regular order.

In the said drawings, represents .the mouthpiece of the instrument, and 11 the setpiece, which is removable to permit the substitution of another set-piece when it is desired to change the key of the instrument. The tube proper of the instrument has, as usual, an initial straight portion 12 and a return-bend 13, which is not movable relatively to the initial portion 12 or to the return straight section 14 and is not shifted either in tuning or in changing the key of the instrument. The instrument further has the usual second bend 15 and forwardly-extending straight section 16; but in lieuof the usual second return-bend connecting the section 16 with the valve-casing of the first piston-valve I locate at this point the main key-slide 17. This slide, which is connected with the section 16 by a curved tube-section 18 and with the valve-casing of the first valve by a curved tube-section 19, is preferably constructed in the manner shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4-, and consists of two parallel longitudinal tubes and 21, into which the tube-sections 18 and 19 respectively open. The tubes 20 and 21 are connected at a suitable point by means of a short tube or passage 22 and are open at their forward ends to receive tubes 23 and 24, which slide, respectively, in the tubes 20 and 21. The tube 23 is provided with a transverse port or passage 23*, which when the tube 23 is slid forward registers with and connects the tubes 18 and 22, and the tube 2& is provided with a similar transverse port or passage 24:, which when the tube 24E is slid forward similarly registers with and connects the tubes 19 and 22. The tubes 23 and 24 are connected, so as to move in unison, either by a bridge 25 at their forward ends or in any other suitable manner, so that when the two tubes are moved forward in the manner just described a short and direct passage for the air from the tube 18 to the tube 19 is formed through the passages and tubes 23, 22, and 24 When the tubes 23 and 24 are slid back, the tube-sections 18 and 19 respectively communicate with passages 26 and 27, extending longitudinally through the tubes 23 and 24, respectively, to the forward ends thereof, where the tubes are connected by means of a bend or crook 28, which establishes a connection between the passages 26 and 27. It will thus be seen that when the tubes 2324- are slid back or are in their rearmost position, which is that shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the air passes from the tube-section 18 to the tube section 19 through an indirect or comparatively long passage, and the total length of the tubing of the instrument is thereby increased and the key of the instrument correspondingly lowered. The bend or crook 28 may be permanently secured to the tubes 23 and 24; but in practice I prefer to connect it to them by means of slip-joints formed by providing the bend or crook 28 with parallel tubes 29 and 30, which slide Withinthe tubes 23 and 24-, respectively. By this means I am enabled, irrespectively of the change of key, to shorten or lengthen the total length of the air-passage through the bend or crook as a whole formed by the passages 26 and 27 and the bend or crook 28, and thereby properly tune the instrument.

In order to limit the motion of the keyslide 17 in each direction, so as to give it the exact amount of motion necessary to make the desired change in the key I provide between the tubes 20 and 21- a slotted plate 31, in which travels a pin 32, connected with the bridge 25 by means of a link the contact of the pin 32 with the ends of the slot in the plate 31 serving to limitthe motion of the key-slide 17.

The air from the tube-section 19 passes in the usual manner to the valve 34:, and this valve is provided with a crook or bend 35, consisting of two parallel tubes and 37, in which slide two similar tubes 38 and :39, connected at their ends by a bend t0 and forming an auxiliary key-slide for the valve 3t. This change of key is accomplished by sliding the parts 38, 39, and a0 relatively with the parts 36 and 37, and thereby either lengtl1ening or shortening the total length of the crook or bend Instead of connecting the part to the tubes 38 and 39 in a permanent manner I prefer to connect it to them by a slipjoint similar to that by which the bend 28 is connected to the tubes and El, so that in addition to the adjustment of the bend or crook 35 for the purpose of causing it to conform to the change of key an additional adjustment of its length for the purpose of preperly tuning the instrument may be made by adjusting the crook e0 relatively to the tubes 38 and 89. The third valve 4i is provided with a crook or bend l2 similar to the crook or bend 35 of the first valve 34, and consisting of parallel tubes l3 and 4%, into which slide similar tubes 4-5 and 46, connected at their ends by a crook or bend 47 and relatively adjustable with relation to the tubes 43 and ll, so as to vary the total length of the crook or bend T2, and thereby adjust the same to the change in key of the instrument. The crook or bend i7 is preferably made adjustable relatively to the tube-sections 4:5 and it in the same manner as the crook or bend i0 is adjusted relatively to the tube-sections 3S and S9 and for the same purposeto wit, that of tuning the crook or bend 42 after its length has been adjusted to the desired key.

As a desirable feature in connection with the main and auxiliary key-slides which I have just described I have devised a mechanism whereby all the key-slides may be simultaneously and aceu rately moved in a rapid and simple manner to the several corresponding positions which it is desirable that they should take in changing the instrument from one key to another. This mechanism consists of a lever l8, pivoted at 49 to a suitable fixed portion of the instrument and having pivotally connected to its upper extremity one end of a link 50, the other end of said link being pivoted to the movable part of the slide 17, the connection being preferably effected by pivoting said link 50 to the pin 82. A second link 51 is pivotally connected at one of its ends atthe point 52 to the tubes 88 and 39, its other end being suitably connected to the lever i8 at a point below the pivot ll) of said lever. This connection I prefer to make by means of a pin 53, which engages a suitable slot 5% in the lever l8. A third link has one of its ends pivoted at 56 to the tubes 45 and 46, and its other end is connected to the lever 48 at a point above the pivot if) thereof, the connection being desirably by means of a pin 57, which engages a slot 58 in the lever l8. It will be seen that by reason of these connections when the lever 48 is vibrated on its pivot the three key-slides are simultaneously moved to the desired position. For instance, if the parts are in the proper position for the instrument in A and it is desired to change the same into an instrument in B-flat the lower end of the lever 48 is drawn rearward or toward the mouthpiece of the instrument. The main key-slide 17 is thereby moved forward until passages and 24; register with the tube 22, thereby, as hereinbefore pointed out, shortening the total length of the tube of the instrument, and thus rais ing its key. At the same time the tubes and 39 are drawn inward by means of the link 51, thus correspondingly shortening the creek or bend 35, and the tubes to andlti are drawn inward by the link 55, similarly and correspondinglyshortening the creek or bend 42. A motion of the lever TS in the opposite direction will of course restore the parts to the position shown in full lines in the drawings and restore the instrument to the keyof A. It will be noted that the mechanism just described also serves to limit the motion of the auxiliary key-slides and assure their proper adjustment. In either of its positions the instrument may be properly tuned by the adjustment of the crooks or bends 28, 40, and t7, and for this same purpose the second valve 59 is provided with a crook or bend G0, which is similarly adjustable for tuning purposes.

IIeretofore in instruments of this character, where a key-slide has been employed to raise or lower the key of the instrument, it has been necessary to so locate the sliding parts and to give them such a range of adjustment as to not only materially affect the quality of the tone of the instrument, but also to so increase its dimensions, principally as to its length, as to detract from its usefulness and compactness. I have found that by reason of the location of the main key-slide at the point indicated by me the tone of the instrument is not impaired, and it will be observed that the arrangement is of such a nature that instead of increasing the total length of the instrument or of any part thereof when it is desired to increase the total length of tubing by means of which the sound is produced the len th of the instrument is,on the contrary,diminished, since the key-slide is shortest when the length of travel given to the air-passage through the instrument is the longest. Moreover, by cating the main key-slide at the point indicated I am enabled to dispense with any movev ment 011 the-part of the first or main returnbend 13, and am therefore enabled to provide this latter with a water-valve 61 of fixed location, this being desirable for draining the instrument of water and such location thereof being impossible when the bend 13 is, as heretofore in instruments of this kind, connected with the adjacent tubing by slip-joints to permit its adjustment. Moreover, since the tube-section 19 is fixed and not movable I am also enabled to locate at this point a second water-valve 62 of fixed location, bymeans of which the efficiency of the draining of the instrument is increased and made more perfeet.

It will be understood, of course, that various modifications in the arrangement of parts and the details of construction herein shown and described may be made without departing from the principle of my invention. For instance, a main key-slide of the character described may be located at the main or first return-bend 13 instead of in the position hereinbefore set forth, although I prefer the latter arrangement. Moreover,s0me of the novel features indicated as desirable may be omitted or modified, as it is not essential that they should all be incorporated in one instrument. I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise construction set forth.

The pin-and-slot connections between the lever 48 and the links 51 and 55 are for the purpose of providing an adjustment at this point whereby the extent of the movements of the auxiliary key-slides may be varied and consequently adapted to each particular case and performer.

1. In a musical instrument of the character described, a key-slide comprising a fixed'member composed of two parallel tubes interposed between portions of the main tube and connected by a short intermediate tube, and a sliding member having short transverse ports adapted to register with the intermediate tube and main tube when the sliding member is in one position, and having an extended passage the ends of which register with the ends of the main tube when said sliding member is in its other position, substantially as described.

2. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with the main tube, of a two-part key-slide located at one of the ends thereof and having a shorter and a longer passage, the former registering with the main tube when the slide is extended by the movement of one part relatively to the other, and the latter registering therewith when the slide is contracted, whereby the length of the air-passage of the main tube may be increased without increasing the length of the instrument, substantially as described.

3. In amusical instrument of the character described, the combinatiomwith the main and auxiliary key-slides, of a lever pivoted to the frame of the instrument, and links connecting said lever with said slides to simultaneously operate the same, said links having adjustable connections at their ends whereby the extent of movement of the slides relatively to each other may be regulated, sub stantially as described.

JULIUS J. NEUMANN.

\Vitnesses:

IRVINE MILLER, FREDERICK O. GooDwiN. 

